(A) Source of authority.
(1) Home rule preemption. This section represents an exercise of the home rule powers conferred upon the village by the Constitution of the State of Illinois. This section is specifically intended to preempt state law pertaining to the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, including, but not limited to, the elimination of the relationship and political party status requirements for the appointment and qualification of members of the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners in the Illinois Municipal Code, to the extent permitted under the Constitution of the State of Illinois.
(2) Where the village has not specifically exercised its home rule powers and adopted otherwise, the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners of the village derives its power and authority from an Act of the General Assembly entitled, "Division 2.1 Board of Fire and Police Commissioners", of Chapter 65 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS Ch. 65, Act 5, §§ 10-2.1-1 et seq.).
(B) Definitions.
(1) For the purposes of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
COMMISSION AND/OR BOARD. Wherever used shall mean the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners of the Village of Bellwood, Illinois.
OFFICER. Any person holding a permanent office in the Police or Fire Department of the Village of Bellwood, Illinois.
(2) The masculine noun or pronoun includes the feminine.
(3) The singular includes the plural, and the plural the singular.
(C) Officers of Board and their duties.
(1) Appointment. All members of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners shall be appointed by the Village President and the Board of Trustees, in their sole discretion, and without limitation regarding relationship or political party status. All current members of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners are hereby qualified to serve without regard to their relationship or political party status and their appointments are affirmed as of the adoption of this amended ordinance. Besides the aforementioned exceptions for relationship and political party status, nothing in this provision precludes removal as otherwise authorized by statute.
(2) Duties. The Board shall annually, on the first meeting in May elect a Chairman and a Secretary. They shall hold office until the end of the fiscal year of the municipality and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. The Chairman shall be the presiding officer at all meetings. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Board in a permanent record book and shall be the custodian of all the forms, papers, books, records and completed examinations of the Board.
(D) Meetings.
(1) Regular meetings shall be held bi- monthly. Notice shall be posted and meetings shall be open to the public.
(2) Special meetings shall be open, notice thereof to be posted 48 hours prior to convening, called by the filing of a notice in writing with the Secretary of the Board and signed either by the Chairman of the Board or any two members thereof. This notice shall contain a brief statement of the business to be submitted for the consideration of the Board at such special meetings, and shall set forth the time and place of such special meeting, and no other business shall be considered at such special meeting unless by unanimous consent of the Board.
(3) During any regular or special meeting a closed session may be held upon a proper motion made by any single member of the Board for the purpose of discussing personnel. Closed sessions may be limited to Board members and such invited persons as the Board may deem necessary. The Secretary will record the motion to close the meeting, record the roll call vote of the members on said motion and keep minutes of the closed session. An audio or video record of each closed session will be maintained by the Secretary of the Board and, after a minimum of 18 months, shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the Open Meetings Act.
(4) Public notice of any regularly scheduled or special meeting shall be held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act, ILCS Ch. 5, Act 120, §§ 1 - 5.
(5) If a member is unable to be physically present at a meeting of the Board, whether it be for health related reasons, the need to conduct personal business or the business of the Board, or due to a personal or family emergency, that member may attend and participate at a Board Meeting by telephonic or other electronic means provided that a quorum of the Board’s members are physically present at the meeting and vote to approve the attendance of the missing member(s) by telephonic or electronic means. The minutes of the meeting shall reflect, by name, those members of the Board who were physically present as well as those attending by telephonic or electronic means. Notice that a Board member will be in attendance and participating at a Board meeting, not in person but electronically, shall be provided to the Board’s recording Secretary or the City Clerk at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting.
(6) The agenda for a regular meeting shall allow for an open forum to permit individuals to appear before and address their concerns to the members of the Commission. The Commission may limit those individuals appearing during the open forum to a presentation not to exceed three minutes and may require an individual to be seated if the individual addresses those present in a disrespectful or discourteous manner or the subject matter being presented is not relevant to the duties and responsibilities of the Fire and Police Commission.
(E) Quorum. A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of all business.
(F) Order of business. The order of business at any meeting shall be:
(1) Call to order.
(2) Roll call.
(3) Public forum (citizen comments).
(4) Approval of minutes.
(5) Correspondence.
(6) Old business.
(7) New business.
(8) Executive (closed) session.
(9) Adjournment.
(G) Procedure. The parliamentary procedure prescribed in Robert’s “Rules of Order” shall be followed as far as applicable.
(H) Amendments. Amendments to the rules of the Board may be made at any meeting of the Board. All amendments shall forthwith be printed for distribution and notice shall be given of the place or places where said rules may be obtained. Such notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the city. The notice shall specify the date, not less than ten days subsequent to the date of such publication, when rules shall go into effect.
(I) Annual report and budget request. The Board shall submit an Annual Report of its activities as required by ILCS Ch. 65, Act 5, § 10-2.1-19, and a Budget Request for the ensuing year, as required by local ordinance and the aforementioned ILCS Ch. 65, Act 5, § 10-2.1-19.
(Ord. 12-38, passed 10-17-12; Am. Ord. 13-24, passed 9-9-13)